Cotahuasi Canyon

Cotahuasi Canyon, About 3,354 M Deep, Is Among The Deepest Canyons On Earth, Deeper Than The Colca. Part Of The Cotahuasi Subbasin Landscape Reserve (2005), With The 150 M Sipia Waterfall, Hot Springs And Terraced Villages, Visited Far Less Than Colca. · Cotahuasi, Arequipa

Cotahuasi Canyon is a deep gorge in the high Andes of Arequipa, about 380 km north-west of the city by road. Its walls drop roughly 3,354 m from rim to river, which is deeper than the better known Colca Canyon, although which canyon is the deepest in the world is disputed and depends on how depth is measured. The base town of Cotahuasi sits at about 2,700 m among terraced fields of maize, avocado and fruit, with hot springs, the roughly 150 m Sipia waterfall and the snow peak of Coropuna in reach. The honest picture is a remote trip. The bus from Arequipa takes about 10 to 12 hours over the high plateau, the road can be cut by landslides from January to March, rooms are basic, cash machines are few and almost no other tourists will be there. That is the appeal for adventurous travellers with spare days. Come in the dry season, bring cash and warm layers, and treat it as a trip in itself. Do not expect tours, signs or crowds: you arrange most things on the spot with local people, which many find the best part and others find tiring.

Remote Andean canyon north-west of Arequipa, about 380 km by road, with the town of Cotahuasi and the Sipia waterfall, Cotahuasi, Arequipa, Peru

The canyon, villages and viewpoints are open all day and all year, with no gate and no entry fee for most of them. Hot springs and small guesthouses keep their own local hours, and some close in the wet season. Sipia is best walked in the morning with a local guide. Confirm road and trail conditions in Cotahuasi town before leaving, as landslides and village festivals can change the plan.

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